The Latest: Cosby lawyer wants jury to hear about settlement

Bill Cosby arrives for a pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Bill Cosby arrives for a pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby leaves the courtroom on a lunch break from a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his sexual assault retrial. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby leaves the courtroom on a lunch break from a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his sexual assault retrial. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby, at left, and Andrew Wyatt, right, walk into the courtroom for a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his sexual assault retrial. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby, at right center, and Andrew Wyatt, at left center, return to the courtroom after a lunch break from a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, PA on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his second trial on sexual assault charges. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby, at left, and Andrew Wyatt walk into the courtroom for a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, PA on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his sexual assault retrial. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Attorney Tom Mesereau, who represents actor and comedian Bill Cosby, arrives for the pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his sexual assault retrial. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele returns to the courtroom after a lunch break from a pretrial hearing for Bill Cosby at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his sexual assault retrial. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby, center, returns to the courtroom after a lunch break from a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his second trial on sexual assault charges. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Attorney for Bill Cosby, Tom Mesereau, returns to the courtroom after a lunch break from a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, PA on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his second trial on sexual assault charges. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Bill Cosby, center, departs a pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Monday, March 5, 2018, in Norristown, Pa. Cosby made his first court appearance of the #MeToo era on Monday as defense lawyers tried without success to get his sexual assault case thrown out, then turned their attention to blocking some of the 80-year-old comedian's dozens of accusers from testifying at his looming retrial. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Bill Cosby arrives for a pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Bill Cosby arrives for a pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Bill Cosby arrives for a pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby leaves the courtroom on a lunch break from a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his sexual assault retrial. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby leaves the courtroom on a lunch break from a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his sexual assault retrial. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby, at left, and Andrew Wyatt, right, walk into the courtroom for a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his sexual assault retrial. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby, at right center, and Andrew Wyatt, at left center, return to the courtroom after a lunch break from a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, PA on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his second trial on sexual assault charges. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby, at left, and Andrew Wyatt walk into the courtroom for a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, PA on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his sexual assault retrial. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Attorney Tom Mesereau, who represents actor and comedian Bill Cosby, arrives for the pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his sexual assault retrial. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele returns to the courtroom after a lunch break from a pretrial hearing for Bill Cosby at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his sexual assault retrial. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby, center, returns to the courtroom after a lunch break from a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his second trial on sexual assault charges. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Attorney for Bill Cosby, Tom Mesereau, returns to the courtroom after a lunch break from a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, PA on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his second trial on sexual assault charges. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Bill Cosby, center, departs a pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Monday, March 5, 2018, in Norristown, Pa. Cosby made his first court appearance of the #MeToo era on Monday as defense lawyers tried without success to get his sexual assault case thrown out, then turned their attention to blocking some of the 80-year-old comedian's dozens of accusers from testifying at his looming retrial. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Constand has.

___

11:10 a.m.

Bill Cosby's lawyers say prosecutors want to have as many as 19 other accusers testify at his sexual assault retrial because they're desperate to bolster an otherwise weak case.

Defense lawyer Becky James argued in court Tuesday that the women's drugging and molestation allegations are decades old, making them impossible to defend against.

James says allowing the other women to testify in the #metoo era that's focused global attention on sexual misconduct would be unfair to Cosby.

Prosecutors are seeking to call the accusers to the witness stand to show Cosby had a long history of drugging and violating women.

The 80-year-old comedian is charged with sexually assaulting a woman at his home in 2004. His first trial ended in a hung jury.

___

9:10 a.m.

Bill Cosby is back in court for the second day of a hearing that will decide whether some of his accusers can testify at his sexual assault retrial.

The 80-year-old comedian is charged with assaulting and molesting a woman at his home outside Philadelphia more than 14 years ago.

Dozens of other women have also stepped forward to accuse Cosby of assault. Prosecutors are asking a judge to allow as many as 19 of them to take the witness stand as they try to show Cosby has a long history of sexual abuse.

The defense is making its arguments Tuesday. Cosby's lawyers say none of the other women should be allowed to testify because their allegations are old and impossible to defend.

The judge has said he'll rule at a later time.

___

12:05 a.m.

Prosecutors are pushing to widen the scope of Bill Cosby's April 2 retrial to spotlight allegations he's one of Hollywood's biggest serial predators.

The 80-year-old Cosby will be back in a suburban Philadelphia courtroom on Tuesday as his lawyers try to convince a judge to block some of his dozens of accusers from testifying against him.

Prosecutors want as many as 19 of Cosby's accusers to take the stand as they attempt to show he had a long history of drugging and attacking women.

They're also trying to insulate the accuser in his lone criminal case from attacks on her credibility.

Cosby's first trial ended in a hung jury.

Cosby's lawyers have argued some of the accusers' allegations date to the 1960s and are impossible to defend against.

March 18, 2018 at 1:17 pm |
WASHINGTON (AP) — When the ax fell on Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, his spokeswoman was half a world away, a distance he and his inner circle preferred and enforced.
Now, it's Tillerson who's...

March 18, 2018 at 12:17 pm |
NEW YORK (AP) — Not since "Avatar" has a box-office hit had the kind of staying power of "Black Panther." Ryan Coogler's comic-book sensation on Sunday became the first film since James Cameron's 200...

March 18, 2018 at 9:56 am |
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — In October 1979, Leonard Bernstein received a fan letter from a high school humanities teacher. Helen Morgan wrote to the celebrity composer-conductor-pianist in hopes he could sh...